Tom Osborne speaks at the Big Red Breakfast

[ZRod]

I often think back to the 2009 Big XII title game. We go up 10-9 with around a minute left. We had stopped Colt and the Longhotns all night. Hell, Suh made Colt his rag doll b*^ch.

Then the WORST kickoff ever happens.

Kunalic kicks it OB and Texas has about 30 yards to go for a fg attempt. Made it. 12-10 final. Texas goes to NCgame. We go to the Holiday Bowl instead of a BCS bowl.

I think if Kunalic doesn't kick it OB, we have a different situation right now.

We probably wouldn't be consistent NC game participants, but we would be way more consistent in big games and a lot more relevant.

IMO

Asante also had a horse collat penalty, it summef up Bo's tenure pretty well. In it to win it, till they self destruct.*edit oh look Count said the same thing but longer.

 

[Count 'Bility]

I often think back to the 2009 Big XII title game. We go up 10-9 with around a minute left. We had stopped Colt and the Longhotns all night. Hell, Suh made Colt his rag doll b*^ch.

Then the WORST kickoff ever happens.

Kunalic kicks it OB and Texas has about 30 yards to go for a fg attempt. Made it. 12-10 final. Texas goes to NCgame. We go to the Holiday Bowl instead of a BCS bowl.

I think if Kunalic doesn't kick it OB, we have a different situation right now.

We probably wouldn't be consistent NC game participants, but we would be way more consistent in big games and a lot more relevant.

IMO

Asante also had a horse collat penalty, it summef up Bo's tenure pretty well. In it to win it, till they self destruct.*edit oh look Count said the same thing but longer.

I know, right?

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

There's nothing more relaxing after a stressful coaching career than taking a job in the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

[tmfr15]

I think T.O. basically said he went to the House of Reps looking for the energy that he missed from coaching and found it to be boring as hell since everything was so caught up in red tape that, at the end of the day, nothing could really be accomplished. T.O. was the man with the plan and he's always looking to take positive action and change things. Can't do that in Washington at all.

 

[Kiyoat Husker]

I often think back to the 2009 Big XII title game. We go up 10-9 with around a minute left. We had stopped Colt and the Longhotns all night. Hell, Suh made Colt his rag doll b*^ch.

Then the WORST kickoff ever happens.

Kunalic kicks it OB and Texas has about 30 yards to go for a fg attempt. Made it. 12-10 final. Texas goes to NCgame. We go to the Holiday Bowl instead of a BCS bowl.

I think if Kunalic doesn't kick it OB, we have a different situation right now.

We probably wouldn't be consistent NC game participants, but we would be way more consistent in big games and a lot more relevant.

IMO

... Or if our offense would have had a pulse and scored just one more field goal. That would have done it too. Really you could point to any one play in that game and say that was the whole reason. And you'd be right. Football is funny that way.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

Or what if Joe Ganz had one more year of eligibility?

Funny game indeed.

 

[RyouN?]

Tom was the same age as Mike R is right now when he retired.

Tom gave us 25+ great years, but in reality he should have stayed another 3-5 as the head coach.

We do need to support the new guy, it's weird that people are hating on him he hasn't even installed the family pics in his office let alone an offense.

Yeah, he probably shouldve. He obviously got out a few years too early. Remember when he flirted with the Seahawks and Michigan St job? Obviously he still had the itch and got out simply for loyalty to a friend in a promise. But god, could you imagine what transpires if he does remain and keeps the staff intact for another 3-5 years? That train was rollin by '97, and Solich lived off it for 4 years before it finally fell off. Imagine if TO stays and keeps it rollin and even possible improves.

I also think Osborne retired when he did realizing there were some huge changes to the NCAA coming down the pipeline that would affect recruiting and such. I also think with the changes that had happened going from the Big 8 to the Big 12 were also a reason why retired.

I completely agree with this. TO even spoke about it many times after he retired. The world was changing and he knew it.

This is completely false, whether TO saw imminent changes in college football has nothing to do with his retirement. He made an agreement with Frank Solich, his longtime assistant that he would give him the reigns after the '96 season. I believe this was a plan set in stone before TO even won a National Championship. After the 96 season was completed he knew the '97 class would be pretty good and wanted to send the seniors out and "possibly" himself with a national title. The facts are, TO had health concerns, over time it became obvious that Frank Solich would be his successor although other programs were trying to lure him away from Lincoln. That is why he agreed to hand over the program to FS, long before he actually did. He groomed him so that nothing much would change in the program, unfortunately thats not how college football works. While TO may cite what allowed the program to be great, like being one step ahead of everyone else, there is no reason to assume that he wouldn't try to keep on the edge of innovation. It defined his tenure, his ability to change, adapt and transform. It was his health and fear of what he built might come crashing down, that led to his retirement. And, really what else did he have to prove? There is no doubt in my mind that TO would have put forth a John Wooden type of run if he had stayed, but his retirement would have left the program just a shadow of itself, regardless of when he retired.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

In 1997 Tom had the chance to go out in style, go out on top, and go out without another quadruple bypass.

The precise timing of his retirement also helped him win that '97 championship, nudging the coaches to give Osborne the sentimental nod over Michigan.

(I know. We totally deserved that title regardless of sentiment. But it was hardly a given that pollsters would unseat their own #1 team, which had just completed an unbeaten season.)

 

[drfish]

I sincerely doubt that the level of success that Osborne experienced in his last 5 years would have continued. Now, I doubt that he would have had a seven win season, but he would have had a 9 or 10 win season and there would have been fans that would have questioned whether the game had passed him by as they did in the early 90's. Nobody should be judged by the mid-ninety's standards. Saban has come as close as anyone, but only one of his 3 NC teams was unbeaten. And before giving the "Nebraska played the Big Eight and the crappy Big 12 north, not the mighty SEC" argument that drives me crazy, consider this.

Results vs. teams that finished in the AP top 25

2009 Alabama undefeated beat the teams that finished 3rd, 10th, and 17th

2011 Alabama one loss beat the teams that finished 2nd and 5th lost to the team that finished 2nd as well.

2012 Alabama one loss beat the teams that finished 5th(t), 14th, and 24th and lost to the other team that tied for 5th.

1994 Nebraska undefeated beat the teams that finished 3rd, 6th, and 19th.

1995 Nebraska undefeated beat the teams that finished 2nd, 5th, 7th, and 9th.

1997 Nebraska undefeated beat the teams that finished 7th, 8th, 18th, 20th, and 23rd (Michigan beat 9th, 12th, 16th)

 

[Nebhawk]

When I here people say that Tom should have stayed I tend to agree at first, then I think what if Nebraska would have hired a big name back then when you could have had anyone.........Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer, Jim Tressel......on and on with other names, but you can get the picture.

One thing I do know Ohio THE STATE WHERE FIRED HUSKER COACHES RETIRE TOO!!!

 

[Drive1010]

Tom was the same age as Mike R is right now when he retired.

Tom gave us 25+ great years, but in reality he should have stayed another 3-5 as the head coach.

We do need to support the new guy, it's weird that people are hating on him he hasn't even installed the family pics in his office let alone an offense.

Yeah, he probably shouldve. He obviously got out a few years too early. Remember when he flirted with the Seahawks and Michigan St job? Obviously he still had the itch and got out simply for loyalty to a friend in a promise. But god, could you imagine what transpires if he does remain and keeps the staff intact for another 3-5 years? That train was rollin by '97, and Solich lived off it for 4 years before it finally fell off. Imagine if TO stays and keeps it rollin and even possible improves.

I also think Osborne retired when he did realizing there were some huge changes to the NCAA coming down the pipeline that would affect recruiting and such. I also think with the changes that had happened going from the Big 8 to the Big 12 were also a reason why retired.

I completely agree with this. TO even spoke about it many times after he retired. The world was changing and he knew it.

This is completely false, whether TO saw imminent changes in college football has nothing to do with his retirement. He made an agreement with Frank Solich, his longtime assistant that he would give him the reigns after the '96 season. I believe this was a plan set in stone before TO even won a National Championship. After the 96 season was completed he knew the '97 class would be pretty good and wanted to send the seniors out and "possibly" himself with a national title. The facts are, TO had health concerns, over time it became obvious that Frank Solich would be his successor although other programs were trying to lure him away from Lincoln. That is why he agreed to hand over the program to FS, long before he actually did. He groomed him so that nothing much would change in the program, unfortunately thats not how college football works. While TO may cite what allowed the program to be great, like being one step ahead of everyone else, there is no reason to assume that he wouldn't try to keep on the edge of innovation. It defined his tenure, his ability to change, adapt and transform. It was his health and fear of what he built might come crashing down, that led to his retirement. And, really what else did he have to prove? There is no doubt in my mind that TO would have put forth a John Wooden type of run if he had stayed, but his retirement would have left the program just a shadow of itself, regardless of when he retired.

Uh no! CFB is too diverse - too many good teams...hell even the years Nebraska "won" the MNC - Penn State had a claim to half of it - that was a crazy offensive team. And '97 shared again (I think TO rep got that one)

TO wasn't winning 11 National Titles - if he stayed.

You are saying he would have won...from '95 to 2005.

Uh...yeah..what about Miami and USC as roadblocks?